From Home to Camp: 18th & 19th Century Military Life

The Revolutionary War and the Civil War were fought by both volunteers and conscripted men, many of whom moved between the worlds of home and camp. In the 18th century, militia members often brought their own equipment into the Continental Army, which was newly organized and frequently short on supplies; in some cases, families even followed the troops. By the Civil War, soldiers were more uniformly equipped, though many still cast their own bullets in camp. Then as now, soldiers carried personal items for comfort, memory, and entertainment during long stretches of camp life.